Obama in NY says Israel is most important ally

The AP reports that President Obama tried to assuage Jewish supporters during a fundraising stop in New York hosted by a prominent Jewish donor, who had been billed among prospective fundraisers ahead of time as a chance for a "substantive and candid" discussion about concerns in the Jewish community.

Chief among them has been Israel and lingering questions among some Jewish voters about the administration's commitment to Israel.

Story Continued Below

When the fundraiser's host, American Jewish Congress chairman Jack Rosen, mentioned "concerns" about the ties between Israel and the U.S., Obama declared, "We don't compromise when it comes to Israel's security."

According to the AP report, Obama said no ally surpasses Israel in importance to the U.S., which Rosen followed up by saying the president's administration has been the most supportive ever of Israeli security.

Democrats have argued that reports of Jewish voters' concerns with the president are overblown. At the same time, the White House has brought on a new liaison to handle Jewish outreach, and there have been fresh overtures aimed at addressing the issue.

The fundraiser was $35,800 a head as the maximum donation, benefiting the joint Obama campaign and Democratic National Committee victory fund effort.